The subject matter disclosed herein relates to air/oil separation techniques, e.g. air/oil separation in a lubrication system for an engine such as a turbine engine.
Many types of industrial machinery use lubrication systems to reduce friction in moving parts, thereby extending the life of the parts and reducing heat. For example, the bearings used to support the rotating parts of a gas or steam turbine are often coupled to a lubrication system that provides a continuous flow of oil that lubricates, cools, and removes debris from the bearings. Generally, after the oil flows through the bearings, the oil is recaptured, cooled, filtered and recycled through the lubrication system. During the process of delivering the oil to the bearings, the oil may tend to mix with air. Therefore, a lubrication system may include an air/oil separator that separates the oil from the air so that the oil can be reused.
Currently, various devices exist for the separation of oil and air. For example, an air/oil separator may operate by slowing the speed of air/oil mixture sufficiently to allow the oil to precipitate. The oil may then be drained back to an oil reservoir. This type of separator tends to be relatively large. Additionally, if the air flow rate is too high, air pressure differentials inside the separator may cause oil to pool in the separator rather than draining into the oil reservoir, thus depriving the lubrication system of oil. One solution to this problem is to use larger, more expensive separators. However, the use of a larger air/oil separator may not be feasible due to a lack of available space.